


Bat Boxes

by artificiallifecreator



Category: Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Bats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 09:33:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19059958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificiallifecreator/pseuds/artificiallifecreator
Summary: Vigilantes and undesirables aren't the only ones to come out at night in Gotham.





	Bat Boxes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clarityhiding](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarityhiding/gifts).



> ClarityHiding headcanoned that there're community bat boxes on the roofs of Gotham apartment buildings. 
> 
> What else hangs out on the roofs of Gotham buildings? 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _Ninja._

On the roof of his building, Fern sits at a table in one of three chairs, calibrating night-photo lenses.

Lillian sits beside him, flipping through the latest issue of _Gotham's Ninja Monthly_.

Bats flutter to and from the box bolted to the rooftop utility pole.

Lillian puts down her magazine. "I needs remember to receive Miss Prudence's identification from you." 

"Yes, I finished it yesterday; it's downstairs in the safe." 

Lillian glances at the rooftop access, then asks, "When's check in?"

Fern adjusts the zoom. "Five minutes."

Lillian acknowledges, recrosses her legs, returns to her magazine.

Bats chitter.

Fern snaps a couple photos, checks the screen on his camera, frowns.

Lillian attends her pad of sticky notes, scribbles a note, and sticks it to a page.

A bat swoops close, resolves into a humanoid, and tumbles to a stop by the table. 

With nary a blink, Fern greets, "Hey."

The newcomer stretches. "Hey," and takes the third chair, grabbing up a power drink as they sit. "Thanks."

Fern grunts.

"Hey," greets Lillian.

The newcomer, chugging the power drink, nods slightly in reply.

Bats chitter.

"How're the Bats?" asks Fern.

The newcomer finishes the bottle, inhales deeply, then, "Well!"

Lillian turns a page in her magazine. "Mhm?"

The newcomer leans forward conspiratorially. "Thrilled to pieces, if I may say so. There're a couple new corpses in Ivy's territory just  _ crawling _ with bugs—makes for some  _ excellent _ eating—"

Fern twists off his current lens and reaches for another. "The human Bats, Lilley."

"Ooooooh." They lean back in their chair. "Riiiight. That—that makes a lot more sense."

Lillian grins.

"Well, the little angry one tripped up The Master's Detective again—"

"Is he okay?"

"The littlest one or the Detective?"

"The Detective."

"Looked like he strained an arm catching himself but nothing super serious."

Fern hums.

Lillian says, “Noteworthy, but it shouldn’t hinder him too badly, and we probably won’t have to deploy.” She puts down her magazine and scans the table. "I will however recommend Miss Prudence drop by." Suddenly pleased, she takes up a pen. “Where did this happen?”

Lilley thinks ... and points westward. “For as long as it takes the moon to travel point four degrees.”

Lillian snaps open her drafting compass—“And with your wingspan ....” —carefully walks it from their location (marked with a green star) along the directions the newcomer laid out. "This seem about right?”

Lilley shrugs. “I guess so? I can’t usually make out the writing on street signs, but your maths’re almost always spot on.”

“They’ve got a point,” says Fern. “They’ve got a couple of points.”

“Oh yea,” says Lilley. “Can you talk to Ms Ivy about some more housing? The pups are getting big and the boxes are getting a bit cosy.”

“Definitely,” replies Fern—“Nooks or pitchers?”

“Oooo, she can do tree nooks? Oh they are just the absolute best.”

Fern makes a note: “Ask Ivy about tree hollows”.

“But some pitchers wouldn’t be amiss either, especially by the ponds!”

Fern makes another note: “Also ask about new pitcher plants near ponds”.

Lilley grins and leans forward. “What’ll you barter with this time? Another calendar? A portrait series?? Oooo, I bet you could something pretty with the bones when they’re clean!”

Fern draws himself up. “My photography services will be at her disposal as she sees fit.”

Lilley chinhands. “I can’t wait to see what you’ll take this time. It’ll be so lovely!”

"Whatever it is that she'll want will exceed her expectations." Fern swaps out another lens. “Anything else to report?”

Lilley describes how Red Robin moved over the last couple nights (mostly fine, but with a subtle fragility), and the impression they got of his mood and feelings towards the rest of the patrolling vigilantes (“He didn’t speak warmly to anyone, but he was less immediately defensive with the shiny one.”

“Red Hood?”

“Big guy, shiny head?”

“That would be Red Hood.”)

After about half an hour, Fern glances at the sky. “You should be getting back.”

Lilley glances at the sky—“By the stars, you’re right!” Jumps to their feet. “Good seeing you guys!”

Fern nods, Lillian says, “Happy flying.”

“Thanks!” Lilley springs to their feet, then throws themselves into the air and, now a bat, flaps twice quickly, and glides over to the bat box.

Lillian closes her magazine and sets it aside, and then rolls up and tidies away the map.

Bats squeak among themselves as they squeeze themselves into the box. 

Meanwhile, Fern carefully tucks his lenses away in their compartments in his case and packs his camera away in its bag. He gets to his feet, settling the strap over his head and letting it rest against his chest, and stretches, then attends Lillian.

She’s swung the map canister over her shoulder, and clasps her magazine to her chest.

Fern hefts his case and, heads to the rooftop exit, Lillian in his wake. When he reaches the door, he opens it and step aside for her.

Lillian nods in thanks, and goes inside.

Fern props the door open with his foot, looks back out into the night.

Bird song is just beginning to fill the air, finally clear of the previous day’s smog, and the backdrop of the sky behind the buildings is just starting to show some colour besides ‘dark’.

Fern exhales, goes inside, and shuts the door on the night.

**Author's Note:**

> (If it's not clear, Fern, Lillian, and Lilley are all ninja. Deep cover ninja, but totally ninja.) 
> 
> The first version of this idea was Fern working on his nighttime photography when a bat swoops over, perches on his shoulder, and gives him /all the gossip. Except bats aren't parrots, so that idea got scrapped '^_^ Then I was on a mission to work in more of a bat box angle--and I would have liked to give them more of a presence, but that's for next time!--and I even got to work in [pitcher plants](https://cornerofthecabinet.com/2016/05/13/the-bats-that-live-in-carnivorous-plants)!!!
> 
> Written across a few sprints hosted by Capes & Coffee - [join us on discord](https://discord.gg/3V5AezE)!


End file.
